Battle of the Books

2013-14

Who can participate? 4th-5th grade students

Form teams of 4-6 students from the same grade level

Everyone who wants to participate can

What’s it all about? It’s like a book club for students who

love to read and discuss books

Teams read from a list of 20 great books

Teams meet often to share impressions, compare notes and master the details

Teams compete in the spring

How do I sign up? Take home a registration form and talk it

over with your parents (permission required)

Talk to your friends - round up a team Recruit an adult team manager or coach

to help you stay organized Turn in your team forms to

Ms. Hodgson by September 30th

2012 Champions:The Book Worms

What books are on the list?

Al Capone Does My Shirtsby Gennifer Choldenko

A twelve-year-old boy named Moose moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935 when guards' families were housed there, and has to contend with his extraordinary new environment in addition to life with his autistic sister.

America Is Under Attack*by Don Brown

On the tenth anniversary of the day terrorism came to the United States, the author revisits the events that changed our country forever. The vivid details are laid out in facts and illustrations at the 3 sites of attack: the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. It captures the enormity of the events, death and some of the miraculous survival stories. (*WAW 3-5 Nominee)

Archer’s Questby Linda Sue Park

Kevin is doing his homework when an arrow comes out of nowhere and pins his baseball cap to the wall. The man who shot the arrow claims he fell off a tiger .and wound up in Kevin's room. Kevin realizes that the man, who calls himself Great Archer, is no ordinary burglar, but a travelerfrom far away in bothspace and time.

Breaking Stalin’s Nose*By Eugene Yelchin

Sasha Zaichik can’t wait for tomorrow when he finally gets to join The Young Pioneers and pledge his devotion to Comrade Stalin and the Communist Party. But when tomorrow comes, everything seems to go awry. Worst of all, his father, the best Communist he knows, has been taken from their apartment and arrested during the night.(*WAW 3-5 Nominee)

Bothers In Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudanby Mary Williams

Eight-year-old Garang loses his parents during a civil war in Sudan. Somehow, he finds the inner strength to help lead other orphaned boys hundreds of miles on foot, first to Ethiopia, then Kenya seeking safety. Many years later they came to the United States tostart a new life.

Chancey of the Maury Riverby Gigi Amateau

After being abandoned, Chancey, an albino Appaloosa horse, finds a new home with Claire who needs him as much as he needs her. As his eyesight deteriorates, he and Claire forge a new relationship as a therapeutic team.

Close To Famous*By Joan Bauer

12-year-old Foster is a great baker and plans to have her own TV show one day like her hero, Sonny Kroll. When she and her mom land in the tiny town of Culpepper after a quick escape from trouble, her cupcakes become pretty popular around town. But what will happenwhen her biggestsecret comes out? (*WAW 3-5 Nominee)

Cracker, the Best Dog in Vietnamby Cynthia Kadohata

A young soldier in Vietnam bonds with his bomb-sniffing dog. Told in part through the uncanny point of view of a German shepherd, Cracker! is an action-packed glimpse into the Vietnam War asseen through the eyesof a dog and her handler.

Elevenby Patricia Rilley Giff

When Sam, who can barely read, discovers an old newspaper clipping just before his eleventh birthday, it brings back memories from his past along with many questions. When he is paired up with a new friend for a school project, she helpshim find the answers tothe mysteries in hisown life.

Escape from Saigon: How a Vietnam War Orphan Became an American Boyby Andrea Warren

Long was an Amerasian boy orphaned during the Vietnam War and when his grandmother could no longer care for him, he left Saigon as part of Operation Babylift in 1975. At the age of 9, an American family in Ohio adopted him. This isLong’s journey throughwar, poverty, differentfamilies, cultures and life experiences.

Esperanza Risingby Pam Munoz Ryan

Esperanza and her mother are forced to leave their life of wealth and privilege in Mexico to go work in the labor camps of Southern California, where they must adapt to the harsh circumstances facing Mexican farm workerson the eve of the Great Depression.

Incredible Journeyby Sheila Burnford

A young Labrador Retriever, an old Bull Terrier and a Siamese cat undertake a 250-mile trek through the Canadian wilderness in order to return to their home.

Julia’s Kitchenby Brenda Ferber

When her mother and younger sister are killed in a house fire, eleven-year-old Cara struggles to find a way to deal with her emotions and to reach out to her grieving father.

Larger-Than-Life Laraby Dandi Daley Mackall

Using the writing techniques she has learned in school, fourth-grader Laney relates how an obese girl new to the class changes the lives of those around her, despite being bullied by her peers.

Masterpieceby Elise Broach

After Marvin, a beetle, makes a miniature drawing as an eleventh birthday gift for James, a human with whom he shares a house, the two new friends work together to help recover a Durer drawing stolen from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Running Out of Timeby Margaret Peterson Haddix

When a diphtheria epidemic hits her 1840 village, thirteen-year-old Jessie discovers it is actually a 1995 tourist site under unseen observation by heartless scientists, and it's up to Jessie to escape the village and save the livesof the dying children.

The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springsby Betty Birney

Eben McAllister searches his small town to see if he can find anything comparable to the real Seven Wonders of the World.

The Summer of Hammers and Angels*bu Shannan Wiersbitzky

Delia's summer is getting off to a terrible start. First, an inspector threatens to condemn their house. Then lightning strikes, literally, and Mama ends up in the hospital. Over the course of a challenging summer, she learns a lot about theimportance of prayer,friendship and hardwork. (*WAW 3-5 Nominee)

Swindleby Gordon Korman

After unscrupulous collector S. Wendell Palomino cons him out of a valuable baseball card, sixth-grader Griffin Bing puts together a band of misfits to break into Palomino's heavily guarded store and steal the card back. He plans to use the money to help his father start a new business. FirstBook in the “Man With ThePlan” series.

True (…Sort of)*by Katherine Hannigan

True: Delly Pattison likes surpresents (presents that are a surprise). And she could sure use one because for most of her eleven years, Delly has been in trouble without really knowing why. The day Ferris Boyd comes to town changes everything for Delly, her little brother RB,and the local basketballWhiz, Brud Kinney. (*WAW 3-5 Nominee)

Battle of the Books

2013-14